Ciaran’s Peculier [sic] Blog

A view of the world from an Irish hole
October 8, 2008

Sudanese women arrested for inappropriate dress

Visitors to my blog will recall how I mentioned the unbelievable bullshit being spouted by a Ugandan government minister who wanted to ban miniskirts. It seems this insanity has spread to Uganda’s northern neighbour, the semi-autonomous regio of Southern Sudan, where a local police commissioner in the capital Juba issued a decree against “bad behaviour and the importation of illicit cultures.” A group of policemen decided to crack down hard on this, and when they passed by a church out of which was spilling a crowd of young women, some dressesd in tight trousers and short skirts, they felt they had to act. The women were arrested, thrown into the back of police lorries and driven off to the local cop shop, where some of them were given a good beating. They have since been released charge and Southern Sudan’s Gender Minister has launched an investigation into what she described as the police’s outrageous behaviour.

Now listen Africa, get it together. You are the poorest continent in the world, with endemic hunger, disease and extreme poverty, and yet some of your rulers get obsessed about what women wear? This is not responsible behaviour but the work of lunatics.

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October 8, 2008

Somalia and Butlersbridge

Mystery still surrounds the eventual destination of those tanks seized by pirates off Somalia. They originated in the Ukraine, and initial theories that they were meant for some of the battling war-lords of that country were dispelled when the Kenyan government put its hands up.

However, the ship’s manifest has been acquired by the BBC and the buyer was listed thereon simply as GOSS, an acronym widely used and understood as meaning the Government of Southern Sudan. The authorities in Juba might want such hardware if they eventually go solo as an independent republic and break away from Khartoum. They’d find the tanks especially useful if such a divorce was not amicable.The Southern Sudanese deny having any involvement, claiming emphatically that the ship was not heading for Southern Sudan, a plausible enough contention given that Southern Sudan must be 1,500 miles at least from the nearest stretch of coast.  The Kenyans aren’t changing their story either. They insist that GOSS stands for General Ordinance Supplies and Security – yeah!

Confused? I think Planet Parker can shed some light on this tortured situation. Not far from Butlersbridge, Co. Cavan, lies the quiet townland of Derrygoss. One of its residents saw what were advertised as cheap Ukrainian septic tanks dating from the Soviet Era for sale in Buy & Sell.  He sent his cheque to a post office box but never heard anything more, causing him to became, well, worried. It seems that the Ukrainians never had septic tanks to sell in the first place but seeing his order they thought he wantted military tanks. They couldn’t undertsand his handwriting except for the last four letters, which they stuck on the ship’s manifest. The tanks found their way onto a ship sailing along the Somali coast and the rest is, as they say, history.

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October 8, 2008

Shop till you drop in Somalia

Reports have emerged from Somalia of yet another catastrophe in whic innocent civilians have been the victims. Two days ago Islamic militants in Mogadishu fired a number of mortars from the large, sprawling Bakara market complex in the direction of the presidential palace. They missed their target but prompted members of the Ethiopian soldiery who are propping up the government to return fire -  by lobbing a few shells - in the general direction of where they thought the mortars had come from. Accuracy is never a big thing with these guys who seem to think that if you fire enough shit some of it will hit the people who fired on you first – it’s the law of averages isn’t it? Well of course the shells fired by the Ehtiopians never came near the Islamic militants. Instead they crashed into women and children doing their shopping in the market, killing at least 20 of them.   

Cynics might say that life in Somalia has its dangers but at least the weather’s nice and you can get an all-body tan, but as if to prove the hollowness of this assertion heavy and persistent rain has fell on Somalia’s south, turning much of the land into a quagmire and making life really shitty for the tens of thousands of refugees living there, often with nothing more to cover them than flimsy plastic sheeting. It’s got so awful there that some refugees are going back to friendly, relaxing and affordable Mogadishu – not quite out of the frying pan and into the fire, but near enough.

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October 8, 2008

La dolce vita in Belturbet

Belturbet is really such a charming place, offering so many different cuisines to the diner. Last Friday we paid a visit for the first time to the new Italian restaurant Mico’s, and I can assure everyone that it will not be our last.

The dining area is decorated in a calm and understated manner. Beside it there’s a bar where patrons can either sip a drink before their meal, or do as we did, partake of a post-prandial there.

For starters we both had a wonderful Insalata alla Greca, with plentiful feta, black olives, delicious tomatoes and lettuce. For main course I opted for Pollo Valdostana, a magnificently prepared dish. It comprises boneless chicken wrapped in parma ham, stuffed with ricotta cheese and served with a fragrant creamy  sauce including basil and thyme. As the name suggests it hails originally from the Val d’Aosta, that part of Italy where a French dialect is still spoken, so it marries the best of two great culinary traditions: French and Italian regional fare. Mico’s provides a nice touch by giving diners a choice of accompaniments, including a selection of pastas in tomato sauce. Rosie opted for a beefsteak served with garlic sauce which she pronounced to be excellent. Rosie had a bottle of the house red, while I, in spite of my oenological pretensions, decided to have a bottle of Nastro Azzurro beer; it went very well with the food.

For dessert I chose a huge ice-crean pancake with various varieties of ice-cream filling. Rosie said she was full and so didn’t have a sweet – instead she eyed mine enviously. She did take a coffee laced with Tia Maria and topped with frothy cream, which she claimed was perfection itself. I rounded off my meal with my favourite coffee, un macchiato – an espresso with a little hot milk.

The portions at Mico’s are generous – so it should be a hit wth the Cavan crowd. I surprised myself by clearing every plate of food set in front of me.

The service was first-class; genuinely helpful, prompt but never officious.

All in all our experience at Mico’s can be summed up in one word – Ottimo!

Mico’s Restaurant, The Lawn, Belturbet, Co. Cavan, telephone 049-9522443

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